Deols get a lukewarm response!

By HT

Mumbai, June 12 -- There was plenty of excitement before Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 (YPD 2) hit theatres, but trade reports suggest that the film has been a big disappointment among viewers. Yamla Pagla Deewana (2011) was a hit at the box office, but the sequel seems to have failed to make an impact - on the audience as well as critics.

Analysts seem sure that distributors are going to suffer losses due to the film, which was made on a budget of R35 crore. "The film was made on a modest budget, so producers are safe but the distributors will lose heavily. The all-India distributors, Stellar Films, paid a huge price for the India and overseas rights, of which they will lose 50 per cent," says trade analyst Amod Mehra.

Echoing Mehra's (YJHD), released a week before, it's still raking in more than YPD 2. "The average occupancy for YPD 2 during the weekend was 35 per cent, which is decent. But YJHD has maintained 65 per cent occupancy in its second week," says Girish Wankhede, general manager, corporate communications and public relations, Cinemax India Ltd.

Wankhede adds that three Hollywood releases also competed with YPD 2's collections at the box office. "Now You See Me maintained 65 per cent occupancy, while After Earth performed below expectation with 35 per cent occupancy. Hangover 2, which is in its second week, had 45 per cent occupancy," he says.